#sgww prompt 3 week 2

[sergeantgoggles]

Title: Tools of a Relationship Ship: Techo [Tech/Echo] Rated: T Summary: Echo stayed on Coruscant and left Tech to figure out how to pick up the pieces of a broken heart by himself. Warnings: More Machine meets flesh mentions and blood. Word Count: 1084

For Hurt/Comfort Anon // Hopefully I did it justice!

“I told you to be more careful,” Tech snapped quietly. “You have not been keeping up with the maintenance of your mechanical parts the way you should be which is why this happened in the first place.”

Echo sneered as Tech worked meticulously. All sorts of tools from screwdrivers and wrenches to pliers and a tiny hammer were laid out on the console. Next to it was a first aid kit that Tech had already dug into, as evidence by the empty hypo shot amongst the tools.

If he were being honest, he should have known that Tech would be upset. He had every right to be. When they left him on Coruscant to work with Rex, Tech hadn’t been thrilled with the idea, but like everything else, he didn’t give much input. He simply went with the flow of things, and it wasn’t like Echo had expected some big send-off. A kiss, maybe, since they had taken their relationship to that level, but even after all their time together, Tech was still as guarded as ever.

Now, sitting in the Marauder while sorting through the files he was able to pull from the Imperial transport ship, he could see that Tech felt more deeply about it than he’d let on. At least, that was the impression Echo was getting from the rather cool attitude he was being so generously graced with.

“Haven’t had the time to keep up with it,” Echo finally replied coolly. “Been doing my part in the rebellion.”

“Yes, I can see that,” Tech countered with just as much chill in his tone. “These brackets have dried blood in them. It is no wonder Wrecker was able to jostle it so easily and tear more skin.”

Echo at least had the decency to be sheepish about that. It’s true that he hadn’t been taking care of his parts the way he should have been, partly because it was hard for him to do alone and he didn’t want to ask Rex to help him with it, but also because it was something that had always been intimate between him and Tech. Many nights had been spent in this exact position of comfortable silence or quiet music playing from the console. Sometimes they would chat, other times Tech would touch him so tenderly he could cry.

“Sorry,” Echo apologized, and he was. He should have been keeping up with it so he didn’t make the already shitty situation worse. Now Tech was left cleaning up ripped skin and blood figuring out how to reattach his scomp without reopening the wounds.

Tech gave a non-committal hum. “You will have to be more specific than that if you are expecting forgiveness. I am not feeling particularly generous at the moment, so choose wisely.”

A strong pang of guilt struck Echo’s chest and he stared at the floor, sort of wishing he could disappear through it. “Are you really that upset that I left?”

“Of course,” Tech replied without missing a beat, as though this was any other conversation. “There was not any prior discussion before you divulged that you were staying with Rex, and I might be mistaken, but when in an exclusive, intimate relationship, you are supposed to discuss matters together and not take it upon yourself to make potentially life-changing decisions.”

There was an odd look on Tech’s face then, as though he were warring with himself. Echo took advantage of them being alone in the Marauder to question him further. “I didn’t think you felt that strongly about it.”

That gave Tech pause. At first, he glared at Echo, but then turned his gaze back to the work in his hands cleaning the blood from the ports while the bacta healed up the rips in Echo’s arm. It was a long moment before Tech finally put the tools down heavily on the console and screwed his face with emotion.

“I have told you before that I am unused to outwardly emoting my feelings. I am unsure of how to properly convey those sorts of emotions, but I have always tried.” As Tech explained, Echo listened, and the more he listened, the more he felt his stomach drop. “I had considered several reasons that you left, many of them centering around simply not being good enough at being in a relationship, but I suppose I had tricked myself into thinking that you understood me better than that. In the end, I guess I was wrong.”

…Well, then.

Echo lifted his flesh arm and cupped Tech’s cheek, slightly surprised that he leaned into the touch instead of jolting away. He figured it was a welcome touch, or at least gentle enough that he didn’t find it intrusive. Leaning forward, Echo closed the gap between them and pressed their lips together. Tech hesitated, but eventually he did reciprocate, and Echo melted. If anything could be said about Tech, it was that he was a quick study, and he’d come a long way from their first kiss ages ago to now.

When they parted, Echo kept him close. “I’m sorry that I didn’t take your feelings into consideration. I care about you a lot, and I should have discussed my intentions to stay with Rex and help his instead of telling you I was doing it. I was wrong…even if I know that what I’m doing is the right thing to do.”

Tech sighed and fiddled with his fingers in his lap. “I never disagreed that it was the right course of action for you. You had been repeatedly vocal about wanting to fight against the Empire, I simply wished you would have talked to me about it. I would have understood, I still do, but pretending that I am not upset with you and that I do not miss you has been challenging.”

Echo’s heart skipped a beat, and he smiled a little. “You missed me?”

“…Of course, I did,” Tech confessed as a sweet, rosy blush dusted his cheeks. “I also care greatly for you. It is only natural that I—”

Another, more forceful kiss cuts him off, but Echo feels Tech smirk against his lips.

“So…am I forgiven?” Echo asked cheekily as he sat back again.

Tech rolled his eyes and picked up Echo’s scomp from the console, setting to work on it once again. “Ask me again when I am finished cleaning and putting you back together.”

Smiling at the ease of tension between them, Echo nodded. “Sure thing.”